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UpdatesWelcome to mhhe.com/acting! Look here for regular updates to the sixth (2003) edition of Robert Cohen's Acting Professionally.
Posted January 1, 2005
COLOR HEADSHOTS – GET ‘EM!
Since the Sixth edition came out, color headshots have suddenly skyrocketed past black-and-whites in popularity, and are quickly becoming a virtual necessity for cracking Hollywood casting offices – with New York’s not far behind. Digital photography and drastic price reductions for color reproductions - now available at B&W prices - have made the big difference. When these trends appear, it’s wise to follow them: black and white headshots are beginning to look out of date, suggesting that you are out of date. Sorry.
ACTOR WEBSITES – GET ONE!
Actor websites are also exploding throughout cyberspace, and while pages 136-137 in the current edition chat you through the basics, the seventh edition will have a full section on the subject. Casting Directors are increasingly turning to actor websites to check up on actor photos, resumés, bios, agency representation, and even see their demo reels (which means you don’t have to pay to make and mail duplicates). For voiceover hopefuls, a website is almost becoming obligatory. You can create your website for free at www.geocities.yahoo.com, but it will have ads attached; for $5 to $10 a month you can arrange for an exclusive site at www.actorspost.com or www.nowcasting.com. And for somewhat more you can hire your own web designer and go it alone.
NEW EQUITY PRODUCTION CONTRACT, 2004-08
On August 31, 2004, Actors Equity members ratified their new four-year Production contract, which provides weekly minimum actor salaries of $1,381/week for Broadway shows in 2004-05, gradually increasing to $1,509/week by 2007-08. To counter a recent trend towards non-Equity tours of Broadway-originated musicals, Equity’s agreement also creates a new “Experimental Touring Program” which, for certain musicals with casts of 40+, can specify a sliding wage scale linked with modest profit-sharing for the actors and increased actor salaries after the production recovers its investment.
SAG/AFTRA MERGER FAILS … SO FAR
The proposed consolidation of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) failed, though barely, to win the required 60% vote from SAG members in 2003. But since a majority of both SAG and AFTRA members favor a merger, a new vote is anticipated in the coming year. In the meantime, AFTRA has taken jurisdiction on certain digitally-shot TV shows previously unclaimed by either union, thus muddying the distinction between these unions further, and is moving its national office from New York to Los Angeles, partly to save money and partly, no doubt, to be nearer its sister union.
SAG/ATA/NATR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT REMAINS EXPIRED
As of this posting date, SAG, ATA (Association of Talent Agents) and NATR (National Association of Talent Representatives) have still not resolved major differences, and the longstanding franchise agreement between SAG and these associations remains expired. Thus many agencies, including biggies like International Creative Management, Creative Artists Agency and William Morris, are no longer SAG- franchised. Screen actors may still sign with nonfranchised agencies “during this interim period” SAG advises members “not to sign individual representation agreements (i.e. “general service agreements,” or “GSAs”) with these entities without first consulting with their Guild, especially if the terms contained therein provide less protection than the SAG Agency Franchise Agreement.” Reports from the field indicate that while nonfranchised agents continue to honor the traditional 10% limit on commissions, GSA agreements often extend actors’ commissionable income to include scale fees, as well as residuals, travel and living expenses previously exempt from the 10% agent bite. No talks are currently scheduled between SAG and the agencies, so this situation may continue indefinitely.
SAG VOUCHER SYSTEM TO END - MAYBE
On October 19, 2003, SAG’s National Executive Committee voted in principle to end the “three-voucher” system described on pp. 107-08 as one of the ways actors may join the union, but as of September 2004, the three-voucher system is still on the books. As SAG wrestles with a substitute plan (a once-favored ten-voucher plan has been dropped), they promise to “adopt reasonable, legally defensible and more restrictive criteria for Background Actors [i.e. extras] to obtain membership.” So far, nothing has surfaced. In the meantime, a Mr. Thyvronn Verlin Hill and his RJ Productions Company have been charged with 10 counts of false advertising (among other things) for allegedly handing out unauthorized “vouchers” to would-be SAG-joiners.
TERMINATOR THWARTS SCAMMERS
In August 2004, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an anti-scam bill closing a loophole that had allowed unscrupulous agents to require clients to purchase acting classes or photographs “in order to obtain representation, counseling or promotion.”
NEW BOOKS
Several powerful new acting books – all highly recommended - have entered the market this year, or will be entering in the coming months. These include:
Acting & Other Flying Lessons: A Practical Guide to Acting on a Film Set, by veteran film/tv actor Gary Graham (he starred in Alien Nation), is an outstanding guide to everything you wanted to know, and everything you didn’t know could be known, regarding acting (and re-acting) in Hollywood. Currently in press: look for it in 2005.
Auditioning and Acting for the Camera, by John W. Shepard. An excellent guide by a veteran stage and television actor and teacher. Smith and Kraus, 2004.
Directors and Actors at War, by veteran film director (Saturday Night Fever, War Games) John Badham, looks sympathetically at film actors’ contributions through a director’s eyes. In press and will appear in 2005.
Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of Climbing to the Top, by David Wienir, Jodie Langel (Allworth: 2004) has interviews with more than 150 Broadway performers – many Tony winners and nominees – mainly tips about entering the profession and, particularly, the difficulties of sustaining a career.
Actors are also directed to the quarterly web journal, Acting Now, edited by Eugene J. Douglas. Dedicated to the “culture of acting,” it can be found at www.actingnow.com
WEBSITE and TRADE PUBLICATION CHANGES
www.castmaker.com is now defunct, so you might want to add www.ncopm.com, the home page for the National Conference of Personal Managers, to your bookmarks for locating representatives. Also the ATA site (www.agentassociation.com) has a new “actor search” service where you can enter an actor’s name and find his or her agent (if an ATA member).
The website for both Backstage and Backstage West trade papers has now been shortened to www.backstage.com.
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2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education